X-ray apparatus for dental use.



w. H. THWAITES.

XQBAY APPARATUS FOR DENTAL USE. 4

APPLICATION FILED IULYZ. 9T7.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I complete UNITED TATES PATENT @FFKGE.

WILLIAM H. THW AiITES, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN."

x-Rar APPARATUS FOR DENTAL use aeeaaes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L-WILLIAM H. THWAITES, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in X- RayApparatus for Dental Use; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invent1on, such as will enableothers skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an appliance especially adapted for use bydentists in takin}; X-ray photographs of teeth of patients, though, ofcourse, the invention is not limited to the one use- It is an object andpurpose, primarily, of the invention to provide an installation of X-rayapparatus such that protection against the rays is had while, at thesame time, the apparatus may be readily adjusted to difi'erent positionsfor different persons and the whole installed and assembledsubstantially as a single unit,

whereby the taking of X -ray photographs is greatly facilitated and atthe same time rendered harmless to all who have to do therewith To theseends, as well as others not particularly stated, I have constructed thedevice embodying my invention which is shown in in which;

Figure 1 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, broken away and shown in section to betterdisclose the interior mechanism.

Fig, 4 is a vertical section substantially on the line 4-4: of Fig. 5,and- Fig. 5 is a rear elevation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout-the'severalviews of the drawings.

In the construction a cabinet or the like is provided having a frontwall 1, sides 2, a top 3 and a base 1 below which, if desired, a'drawer4 may be placed. The back of the cabinet may be. closed if desired andit is contemplated that the sides 9 and -the--back shall be lined with aprotective material such-as lead, as indicated at 5. I

A pair of vertical parallel and spaced apart guides 6 are secured on theback of the front wall 1 between which a slide 7 is, located, which isvertically movable between the guides, the slide carrying rollers 8which- Speeification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 2, 1917.

, inner sides of said the accompanying drawings and with parts PatentedJan. I, 19% 9. Serial No. 178,310.

engage with suitable tracks 9 secured on the guides. Ropes or cables 10lead from the slide over pulleys 11 suspended from the top 3, weights 12being secured at the ends of said cables to counterbalance the weight ofthe slide and the mechanism carried thereon. A vertical slot 13 p ismade in the front wall 1 of the cabinet through which projects a funnellike member 14 formed of thick heavy glass and which is secured on thefront face of the slide'7. Directly back ofthe member 1 1 is a Crookestube 15 of usual and ordinary construction, the extensionslld thereofpassing through supports 17 which project rearwardly 'from the slide?thus serving to mount the tube in such manner that it may be turned whendesired about a-horizontal axis. An opening is made through the slide 7so as to permit the passage of the rays through this opening out throughthe member 14. A guard 18 of leadsurrounds the enlarged central part ofthe tube 15 guarding against the passage of the rays except those whichmay pass rearwardly and-also laterally through the slots in the sides ofthe guard where parts 16 of the tube are entered into the supports '17.lhese rays, however, are taken care of by the protective linings 3 5heretofore describec. I

The wires 19, connecting with the tube lead upwardly to tension rollers20 which are connected with the main circuit wires" 21. As the slide israised and lowered the 99 wires 19 are fed from and taken up by therollers. The mechanism for producing the high tension current includingthe rectifying disk 22, transformer 23, motor 24 and the'like are ofwell known and conventional construction being located in the lower partof the cabinet and properly connected with the tube for the productionof the rays. Likewise wires 25 lead from the supports 1% for rollers 20to an apparatus indicated? as a whole at 26 mounted on the top 3 andwhich, connecting with the rearwardly eX.-. V tending portion 27 of thetube 15, to shunt a part of the currentfor use in changing the 19 degreeof vacuum within the tube. However all of this apparatus is old and wellknown and need not in the present invention be entered into in detailother than to show its positioning and assembly in the presentinvention.

With a construction as described, the

grasping the forward portion of the mem-' ber 14 and raising or loweringthe slide to the desired position, the counter weights 12 balancing thesame such that it will stay in any position to which it is adjusted. Thewires 19 at all times are taken up and a complete protection againstharmful effects of the rays is had" by the operator. This is veryessentialf in conjunction..with X-ray apparatus, especi ally in theoffice of dentists, where the same is used many times a' day.

Unless complete protection is had, the operator who continually uses themechanism is liable-to very severe and dangerous burns from the rays asis Well understood. This construction is not only a complete insur anceagainst danger but at the same time it is especially convenient inactual use. The only rays that pass through the cabinet are those whichcome through the member 14. This member is adjustable and the photographto be taken may be taken with the patient standing up and without thenecessity as heretofore of placing the patient in awkward positions andmanipulating several different adjustments of several difierent sectionsof the apparatus in order to secure the photograph desired. Also byreason of my invention there'is an additional advantage obtained,namely, the saving of time in taking the photograph which with myinvention by actual practice has been reduced very greatly. Furthermorea complete incasement of the high tension current wires which mustextend to the X-ray tube is provided insuring against the injury of anyone, especially. to those ignorant of the danger of such wires, such aschildren or the like. 'All of these advantages together with therelativesimplicity and economy make it. of great practical value andmerit. I claim J 1. In combination, a cabinet having a front wallprovided with a vertical slot therein, a slide mounted for vertical movements back of said front wall, said slide having an openingtherethrough, a member having a passage therethrough cominunicating withthe opening in the slide secured to and in front of the slide andprojecting through said slot, a Crookes' tube mounted on and back oftheslide directly back of the openin therethrough and, means inclosed bythe-ca'inet and connected with the tube for producing an" electrical.dis"

charge through the tube with the resultant production of X-rays whichare directed through said opening in the slide and memmounted on thecabinet for taking up or feeding out said wires as the slide andattached'tube are. raised and lowered, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a cabinet having a; top so and a front wall providedwith a vertical slot therein, vertical uprights securedat the back ofsaid front wall, one at each side of the slot, a track on each of theadjacent faces of the uprights, a slide having an opening therethroughdisposed between the uprights, rollers on the slide engaging with thetracks, pulleys attached to the top of the cabinet, cables attached tothe slide and leading over the pulleys, weights attached to the ends ofsaid cables, means for pro ducing X-rays mounted on and back of theslide directly back of the opening therein,

a cover of ray intercepting material attached to the back of the slideto house the X-ray means, and a funnel-like member of y ray interceptingmaterial secured to the slide in front of the opening therein having acentral passage for passing the rays through the member.

5. In combination, a cabinet having a front wall ovided with a verticalslot therein, a slide provided with an opening therethrough mounted forvertical movements back of the front wall, spaced apart 05 bearingsupports projecting rearwardly from the rear side of the slide, aCrookes tube including an enlarged central section and oppositelyextending cylindrical extensions thereto located back of the slide, saidextensions being'rotatably carried by the bearing supports and thecentral section being located" directly back of the opening on theslide, a ray intercepting cover secured to the slide and substantiallyinclosing the I -WILLIAM H. 'rnwarrns.

